Could you find a ball of string in a hurry? Do you spend hours hunting for your passport just before you go on holiday?

If that sounds like you, it may be time to have a big clear-out and un-clutter your home.

If you really start to go through your cupboards and storage areas you could be in for a shock.

It's amazing how we tend to accumulate keepsakes and little odds and ends over the years that realistically are never going to see the light of day.

But that doesn't mean they may not be of use to someone else and you may be able to make some extra cash in the process!

With the growing interest in car boot sales and selling online we're all beginning to wise up to the fact that our little bit of junk may be somebody else's treasure.

Be rigorous as you go through your house and ask yourself if you really need to keep something, and if not consider how to make best use of it - either selling it or recycling - you'll be amazed at what you can recycle now.

Probably the best place to start will be in your bedroom. Go through each item in your wardrobe and drawers and be honest with yourself. If you haven't worn an item of clothing for over a year, it's probably a good time to consider getting rid of it.

Now go through the cupboards and shelves in your bathroom and all those lipsticks and eye-shadows gathering dust on your dressing-room table. If you didn't like a particular shade of foundation that you experimented with last year you probably never will - and make-up doesn't last forever!

If your children's toys and games are still in one piece keep them aside and throw all the broken ones away. Don't forget to look under all the beds - you could all be sleeping on top of a small goldmine every night!

And when you've been through the whole house and decided that you can live without the unopened boxes of Christmas candles and most of the 30-odd toy cars your son hasn't touched for over a year, sort everything out into different piles.

You may want to start collecting things in boxes in the garage and wait until you've got a real hoard and have a go at selling them at a car boot sale - you'll be surprised what sells and how the odd 50p here and £2 there adds up.

If the products can be recycled - old sheets, curtains, blankets and shoes, for instance - ring up your local council if you're unsure about what is accepted in your area for recycling first before taking everything else to the dump.

You'll feel a whole lot better and you'll really be able to get behind all the nooks and crannies.